Washing machine outlet boxes are frequently used in new construction or remodeling to provide the plumbing connections necessary for a washing machine, including water supply lines (hot and cold) and a drain port for the washing machine drain hose. The drain port usually includes a tailpiece extending downwardly from the bottom of the box for attaching a drain pipe connected to the sanitary drainage system of the building. The drain pipe may be solvent welded to the tailpiece where both are made of a suitable plastic.
Such washing machine outlet boxes may also be designed to provide a drain for a condensate line from a water softener or an air conditioner. In this manner, the drainage for both the washing machine and the condensate line may be routed through the same box. However, local construction codes typically do not permit the condensate line to drain directly into the same drain port in the box as the washing machine hose.
To accommodate a condensate line, a washing machine outlet box 30 would normally include two separate drain ports (one for the washing machine hose and one for the condensate line) and two separate tailpieces. During installation of the washing machine outlet box, a plumber is required to connect these two separate tailpieces to the drain pipe. To accomplish this, typically the upper end of a straight piece of pipe is solvent welded to the tailpiece of the washing machine hose drain port and the upper end of another straight piece of pipe is solvent welded to the tailpiece of the condensate line drain port; the lower end of one straight piece is solvent welded to the upper end of a T piece of pipe and the lower end of the other straight piece is solvent welded to the upper end of an elbow piece of pipe; the side end of the T piece and the lower end of the elbow piece are solvent welded to opposite ends of another short straight piece; and the bottom end of the T piece is solvent welded to the drain pipe. Thus, a plumber is required to make some seven solvent weld joints to connect both the washing machine hose drain port and the condensate line drain port to the drain pipe.
Additionally or alternatively, local construction codes typically require an air gap between the condensate line and the drain, necessitating that the bottom end of the condensate line be positioned above its drain port. This may require the plumber to mount a clamp either to the rear wall of the box or to a construction surface above the box to secure the condensate line in place relative to the washing machine outlet box.
Accordingly, while a washing machine outlet box that accommodates a condensate line is generally known, there remains a need for a box that can accommodate a condensate line without requiring additional installation steps to be performed by a plumber.